Health Expert Allison Janse shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/82437/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/82437/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/82437/index http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/48170/immune-system Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:40:00 -0500 Allison Janse We all know that staying hydrated can help keep us healthy, but it turns out that an age-old secret to good health this season could begin by turning on your water faucet -- the cold water faucet, that is. Alexa Fleckenstein, M.D., coauthor of the book Health20: Tap into the Healing Powers of Water to Fight Disease, Look Younger, and Feel Your Best, has helped a myriad of patients boost their immunity and regain their health, in part, with a... http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/48170/immune-system http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/45102/sneaking-boosting Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:03:00 -0400 Allison Janse While there is no truth to the adage, "Starve a fever, feed a cold," research proves that what you eat can either boost or impair your immunity and help -- or hasten -- your recovery from an illness. This is why, as we enter cold and flu season, many of us are wondering how to get the proper nutrients. The answer may be as simple as adding some stealth health maneuvers to your repertoire -- sneaking nutrient-packed foods into your diet so that... http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/45102/sneaking-boosting http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/43686/natural-fighting Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:51:00 -0400 Allison Janse According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, over-the-counter products are ineffective for treating coughs and colds in children under six, and shouldn't be given because of the risk of side effects. The FDA is echoing that parents shouldn't give the medicines to kids under two.   In the meantime, with kids already in school, chances are that the first round of sneezing and hacking has already begun, and the kids are bringing home the... http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/43686/natural-fighting http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/20687/flu-2008-9-tips Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:42:00 -0500 Allison Janse With Problems Marring This Year's Flu Season, What's a Person to Do?   The flu season is underway, with widespread activity reported in the Northeast U.S., the South and in clusters of elderly people, college students, and children.   But what really has health officials working overtime is a drug-resistant strain of influenza that is not responding to Tamiflu, the gold-standard anti-viral medication. In Chicago, at least 10... http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/20687/flu-2008-9-tips http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/19625/ways-kids-otc Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:04:00 -0500 Allison Janse Thanks to the FDA, I now have a clutter-free, neatly organized medicine cabinet for the first time since stockpiling it for the arrival of twin babies. It's amazing how much stuff you can fit (aka "cram"!) into a tiny medicine closet. Now I'm left like many parents, smack in the middle of cold and flu season with the newfound knowledge that not only are over-the-counter cold and cough medicines not even effective for children under two, they're... http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/19625/ways-kids-otc http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/19169/worst-cold-flu Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:46:00 -0500 Allison Janse January is the month when millions of people make an effort to revamp their health habits. Coincidentally, it's also the month when many variants of cold and flu viruses - including sinus infections causes by bacteria -- rear their ugly heads. Now may be the perfect time to take stock of your health habits and see if they could use some minor modifications.   Here's a countdown of the seven worst offenses:   7) Going to Work Sick.... http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/19169/worst-cold-flu http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/18825/wipe-germs-home Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:19:00 -0500 Allison Janse As cold and flu viruses make their rounds, you may want to kick your germ-avoidance tactics into high gear, making sure that if one person in your house gets sick, the illness doesn't spread, taking everyone-including you-out of commission. Here's a room-by-room overview of where some of the germs lurk in the highest concentrations and how you can modify some of your habits to stay healthy this season.   The Bathroom The bathroom is... http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/18825/wipe-germs-home http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/18503/ways-kids-habit Mon, 31 Dec 2007 10:58:00 -0500 Allison Janse As parents, we know that little kids' hands always seem to wind up in their mouths or noses...or someone else's mouth or nose. That's why when cold and flu season is upon us, it's more important than ever to reduce the number of germs on our kids' hands as they're out and about. With that in mind, try some of these stealth-health tactics to make sure you get your kids into the habit of hand-washing.   * First make sure your sink area is... http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/18503/ways-kids-habit http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/17662/sick-days-cold-5 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:48:00 -0500 Allison Janse Hack, wheeze, sniffle, sneeze. What spreads faster than office gossip? The office cold. "Every day, you run a germ gauntlet getting to work and in your workplace," explains Charles Gerba, Ph.D., microbiologist at the University of Arizona. "Basically, the people before you who were ill laid a germ minefield."   The common cold and the flu will account for tens of millions of sick days this year, which could cost American businesses as... http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/17662/sick-days-cold-5 http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/16611/dont-germs-travel Mon, 19 Nov 2007 15:42:00 -0500 Allison Janse Surely you've seen them: the growing legions of germ-aware folks who use a paper towel to open public restroom doorknobs and won't sit on a public toilet seat without some sort of paper guard. As the holidays approach, you may want to stop making fun of these people, and start following their lead, especially if you are one of the millions of people who are planning on flying this season.   In fact, a recent study in the Journal of... http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/c/82437/16611/dont-germs-travel